Self-lubricating stuffing box for oil wells



May 7, 1940..A G. R. HUFF SELF-LUBRQATING vSIUI,I?"'JXG BOX FOR OIL WELLS Filed March 16, 1939 M F 5 @N lllllllllrlnl! GorL-ge F.

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ATTORNEYS Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED. vSTM-Es PATENT OFFICE sm-Lunmca'rmc s TUNING Box Fon WELLS George n. nun, smkwa, om. Application March 16, 1939, Serial No. 262,325

2 Claims.

This invention relates to self-lubricating stuifing boxes for oil wells and has for an object to provide a device of this character having a bowl forming an oil reservoir which lubricates the rubber packing elements of the polish rod and pre- Y vents the packing elements burning out should the well be pumped dry arid thus eliminates re hazards. A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be devoid of check -valves and other complicated mechanism which might easily get ou of order under several conditions of service.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

vWith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood.

that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

, In the accompanying drawing this specification,

Figure l isa longitudinal sectional view of a self-lubricating stufiing box for oil wells, constructed vin accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the vstuiiing box taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the stufng box showing the construction of the pipe which replenishesthe oil supply in the bowl forming part of and prevents retrograde movement of oil fromv the bowl except to the rubber packing elements.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I0 designates a substantially globular hollow bowl provided at its lower end with an exteriorly threaded nipple II adapted vto be secured in the well casing, and provided at its upper end with an exteriorly threaded nipple I2, through which nipples the polish rod I3 operates.

Integral with the bottom of the bowl and the lower nipple is a substantially rectangular box Il having one side open and closed through the medium of a cover I5 which is secured in place by bolts I6.

The box is adapted to receive rubber packing 56 blocks Il which are substantially rectangular in and reduced upper `having a kerf 3 cross section and are provided on their confronting faces with grooves I8 forming an opening of circular cross section to receive the polish rod. A pair of pressure plates I9 two of the walls of the box and the faces of the blocks which confront these walls. Adjusting are disposed between screwsv20 are threaded through the walls of the box and bear against the pressure plates for urging the pressure plates to tightly engage ythe rubber packing blocks with the polish rod. For lubricating the packing blocks with a portion of the oil which is raised from the well, the wall 2i of the box opposite the cover is thickened, as' best shown in Figures 2 and 3, and is provided with a vertically disposed threaded opening 22 the upper end 23 of which is uniformly reduced to provide a shoulder 2t.' the upper end of the opening passing through the bottom of the bowl and communicating with the interior thereof. The lower end portion of the opening 22 communicates with an arcuate duct 25 which passes through the nipple I@ and communicates with the interior of the casing'.

A pipe 25 is engaged through the opening 22 Q portion 23 thereof and extends upwardly into the bowl to a point near the top of the bowl. The pipe terminates short of the duct 25 and is provided with a uniformly enlarged exteriorly threaded lower portion 21 having a shoulder 28 between which shoulder and the shoulder 2d of the box a lead, copper or other packing washer 29 is confined to prevent leakage of oil through the opening 22 back into the casing. The lower end 21 of the pipe terminates short of. the duct 25 so that oil from the casing may freely flow through the pipe to ill the bowl. The lower end of the pipe is provided witha bottom wall 30 I formed therein which performs the dual function of a means to permit insertion of a tool to screw the pipe into the opening 22 and a passage through which oil may flow fromthe duct 25 into the pipe, 'as best shown in Figure 3.

The lower end of the opening 22 is closed by a plug 32. This plug permits the oil to be drained through the duct 25 when the plug is removed.

The upper nipple I2 receives packing rings 33 which are sleeved on the polish rod. These rings are compressed through the medium of a babbitt gland 34 which 35 at the top. The ang'e of the flanged gland is engaged by a cap 36,which is provided with interior threads to engage the exterior threads of the nipple. The cap is provided with handles 3l which permit the cap to be screwed on to the is provided with a vflanged gland f nipple to compress the babbitt gland. A pet cock and testing' the amount of oil in the bowl.

In practice oil from the casing risesthrough the duct 25 and pipe 2li on to the bowl and fills the bowl, the oil then escaping through aligned the packing rings 33 and packing blocks Il so that these elements are thoroughly lubricated at all times. Thus ire hazards due to burned up packings and other causes is positively eliminated.

What is claimed is:

l. A self-lubricating stung box for wells comprising a substantially globular hollow bowl adapted to contain liquid, an exteriorly threaded nipple disposed on the bottom of the bowl adapted to slidably receive a polish rod, a box connected to the nipple and the bottom of the bowl, packing blocks in the box provided with grooves forming an opening of circular cross section to receive the polish rod, a pair of pressure plates in the box engaging the packing blocks, adjusting screws threaded through the walls of one wall of the box being provided with a by-pass which is uniformly reduced to provide a shoulder, the upper end of the by-pass communicating with the interior of the bowl, the lower end of the by-pass passing through the'nipple for bowl through the pipe,

receiving uid from the well, a pipe engaged ing with said box to permit liquid from the bowl to lubricate said blocks. 2. A self-lubricating stumng-box for wells including a bowl having an externally threaded nipple for supplying liquid from a well to the a drain plug provided at the lowerend of the GEORGE R. HUFF. 

